Tips for finding best meals in Paris

Aug. 14, 2013

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 12:28 p.m.

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My daughter ordered the "Poulet Forestiere" - a classic country chicken dish served with potatoes -- at Le Trumilou. We thought it was better than the duck, which was superb. I wanted to drink the au jus. Once again, another great recommendation by a local Parisian. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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In our research, three macaron shops kept turning up as the "best" places to taste these expensive French delights: Ladurée (shown), Pierre Hermé and Fauchon. We liked Laduree best. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Register food writer Nancy Luna and her husband, Brady MacDonald, and daughter, Hannah, at the Eiffel Tower. The foodie family does a lot of research on where to eat before they travel. Check out their best discoveries. ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Locals, web searches and Yelp -- all gave high praise to Berthillon, a luxury ice cream maker in Paris. You can find the ice cream at many restaurants, and scoop shops throughout the city. Our favorites were the salted caramel and fruit sorbets. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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La Crepe Dentelle came up frequently on Yelp and TripAdvisor as an excellent creperie. Once again, the reviews didn't steer us wrong. The prices were reasonable, and the location was near one of my favorite places to get croissants, Stohrer patissiere. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Creperie Bretonne was a charming place recommended by the owners of the apartment we were staying at while in Paris. The cash-only place whipped up some delicious sweet and savory crepes. This one was stuffed with with a sunny-side up eggs, cheese and bacon. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Creperie Bretonne was a cute little place recommended by the owners of the 11th district apartment we were staying in while in Paris. The cash-only place whipped up some delicious crepes. After dining on a few savory crepes, we ended our meal with a butter dusted crepe served with strawberry jam and chantilly cream NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Christophe Hude, a Parisian who we met through an Orange County friend, told us to go to Le Trumilou for authentic French comfort food. The bistro, where we were the only tourists, didn't disappoint. The signature dish was duck served in a bath of red wine sauce and prunes. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The French love their cheeses. This salad at Le Trumilou didn't hold back on the cheese. The best part: the creamy goat cheese stuffed in the perfectly cooked eggplant. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Le Trumilou gave us an authentic French bistro experience. The charming Old World bistro is near Hotel de Ville, and was reasonably priced at lunch. Warning: No English menus, but you'll survive. One of the managers came to our table to explain the menu in English. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Like many restaurants in Paris, you can order a two or three course meal at lunch at Le Trumilou. This cheese plate was my daughter's third, or dessert, course. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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One of my favorite culinary stops of our trip was the Maille mustard shop. You can sample various gourmet mustards infused with ingredients such as basil, Parmesan, fruits, and truffles. I would have never known to stop here had it not been for a tip from Newport Beach chef Pascal Olhats. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Newport Beach chef Pascal Olhats, a French native, tipped me off to Maison de la Truffe. I would have never walked into this place without Olhats' tip. The restaurant's menu is beyond my budget, as every dish is made with truffles. But, Olhats told me that there's a tiny shop next to the restaurant that sells truffle products and “to go” sandwiches at reasonable prices. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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We ordered the “brie truffe and roquette” and the “Iberico ham and black truffle” sandwiches. Hands down, they were the best sandwiches we ate on the trip. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Le Maison is located in the very upscale 8th arrondissement. Make an afternoon of eating on-the-go in this area. It is near Fauchon, Patrick Rodger, Maille mustard shop and Hediard. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Our online research led us to some great cheap eats in Paris such as L'as du Fallafel. Expect lines for this trendy Marais area restaurant with a reputation for serving one of the best cheap eats (5.50 Euros for a hefty size falafel) in Paris. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Grilled turkey Shawarma at Chez Hanna, one of a few "cheap eats" places we discovered through Yelp and Paris food blog searches. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The falafel at L'as du Fallafel can be shared by two people. Cost: 5.50 euros NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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L'Avant Comptoir, a French tapas bar in the Latin Quarter, was a tip from a Yelp community manager in Paris. Fun, and memorable. We shared many small dishes like this beef Carpaccio drizzled with olive oil and topped with shaved parmesan. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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L'Avant Comptoir: We shared many small dishes like this soup that could best be described as orzo pasta cooked in a seafood broth and topped with shaved parmesan. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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L'Avant Comptoir,: We shared many dishes including this "lard" or bacon mini-panini sandwich. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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We were lucky to be staying in the 11th district of Paris, which was dotted with non-touristy critically reviewed bistros like L'Ecailler du Bistrot. This seafood salad (with potates and sea slugs) was the first of three courses my daughter ordered. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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At L'Ecailler du Bistrot, I ordered the daily fish special. We were told every fish is locally caught and sourced. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Newport Beach chef Pascal Olhats, as well as a local Parisian, recommended Les Cocottes. It was one of the few hipster chef-driven restaurants we visited during our trip. One of three Christian Constant restaurants on Rue Saint-Dominique in the chic 7th arrondisment, Les Cocettes serves most of its elegant dishes in Staub cast iron pots. We spoiled ourselves with the lobster ravioli, bacon salad and seabass (SHOWN) floating a top a rich bed of mushroom risotto. It was one of our most expensive meals we had but it was definitely worthy of all the praise. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Les Cocettes serves most of its elegant dishes in Staub cast iron pots. We spoiled ourselves with the lobster ravioli (shown), bacon salad and seabass floating a top a rich bed of mushroom risotto. It was one of our most expensive meals at 110 euro, but it was definitely worthy of all the praise. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A local bar owner told us to visit Baron Rouge for an "Old World Paris" wine bar experience. He was spot on. The bar was superb and reasonably priced. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Part of the charm of Baron Rouge are the wine barrels stacked against the wall. We bought a liter of rose, tapped straight from the barrel, to take back to our apartment for only 3.50 Euros. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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As you walk in to Baron Rouge, you see barrels of wine (rouges, blancs, roses) stacked against a wall. Many of the house wines are poured directly from the barrel's tap. You can even by a liter to-go, which of course, we did. We were told that most bars don't offer "wine" takeaway anymore. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Waffle and creme dessert at Les Cocottes. It was recommended by French chef and Newport Beach restaurant owner Pascal Olhats, as well as a local Parisian who we met during our trip. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Les Cococettes is one of three restaurants on the same block by popular French chef Christian Constant. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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I highly recommend spending an afternoon, or day, snacking your way through Paris. We often took our pastries and sandwiches to local parks like this one. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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In the summer, everyone dines al fresco in Paris. This bistro, La Table de Claire, was a street level restaurant at the bottom of our apartment. Every night it was packed. We had a fabulous meal there that included green tomato gazpacho, ravioli and steak topped with large rings of shaved parmesan. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Register food writer Nancy Luna and her family also spent three days in London. Their favorite meal came from Tamarind, the flagship to the Newport Coast Indian restaurant. They dined on signature dishes including the slow-cooked lamb (shown), grilled scallops (shown), black lentils, and butter chicken. Most of the dishes, except the scallops, are on the Newport Beach Tamarind menu. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Tamarind's famous naan breads. The Michelin ranked London restaurant has a location in Newport Beach. NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Register food writer Nancy Luna and her daughter, Hannah, dine at a creperie near their Paris apartment. The foodie family does a lot of research on where to eat before they travel. Follow Luna on Twitter and Instagram under the name "Fast Food Maven." BRADY MACDONALD, FOR THE REGISTER

My daughter ordered the "Poulet Forestiere" - a classic country chicken dish served with potatoes -- at Le Trumilou. We thought it was better than the duck, which was superb. I wanted to drink the au jus. Once again, another great recommendation by a local Parisian.NANCY LUNA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Best London Restaurants

Favorite London restaurants: We spent three days in London. Our favorite meal came from Tamarind, the flagship of the Newport Coast Indian restaurant. We tried signature dishes including the slow-cooked lamb, grilled scallops, black lentils and butter chicken. The flavors – spicy but approachable – blew us away. Hands down, this was one of the best meals of our three-week trip. It made me appreciate our Newport Beach location, whose menu offers some of the same dishes. Executive chef Alfred Prasad splits his time between London and Newport Beach to ensure locals get the same London food experience. The Eagle, believed to be the first gastropub in London, served us one of the spiciest flat grilled steaks I've ever had. The steak strips, sprinkled with red pepper flakes and perfectly cooked with a red center, were culinary genius as well as strategic. We ordered a few extra beers to wash them down.

My family and I spent three weeks this summer in Paris – an unforgettable vacation that found us strolling the city's romantic bridges, gazing at brilliant works of art and walking through the magical gardens that inspired Claude Monet's paintings.

The dazzling scenes were indeed memorable. But, the most unforgettable parts of our trip centered on the elegant dishes, flaky croissants and sweet treats we discovered at bistros, boulangeries, bars and patisseries.

Romantics say walk the city and follow your nose.

That is true to some extent.

In an international town teeming with dining options, the possibility for a bad experience multiplies tenfold. So before our trip, my husband, Brady, and I did exhaustive research to find great restaurants that fit our middle-class budget. While I understand many of you might not be headed to Paris anytime soon, I want to share with you how we discovered some of our favorite meals.

Many of these tips can be applied on any foodie trip – whether you're in Paris or Philadelphia.

Digital word of mouth

Web resources such as TripAdvisor, Yelp and Facebook are invaluable when traveling. We vet recommendations from all sources to find hidden gems and must-try hotspots. In the case of Paris, I took an added step of contacting Elodie Fagan, the Paris community manager for Yelp. (Thanks to Ryan Cox of YelpOC for the virtual introduction.) Fagan blew me away by sending me links to her favorite Paris places.

One of her suggestions was L'Avant Comptoir, a tapas bar in the Latin Quarter. Tucked in a tight space with no seating, the bar offers daily specials and a regular menu of small "French tapas" dishes.

We went there during our last week in Paris and it was one of the most memorable experiences of the trip. While a line of people waited for a seat at the tourist-packed restaurant next door, L'Avant Comptoir was nearly empty.

Turns out, L'Avant Comptoir was created just for the crowds waiting for a seat at Le Comptoir du Relais. Fagan said the bar was established as a place to have a bite to eat before ("avant") dining at Le Comptoir.

We felt like we stumbled upon a little secret that no one knew about.

When I walked in and asked for a menu, the man behind the bar pointed to the ceiling. Dozens of laminated menu cards dangled from above. Each dish came with a photo.

This is going to be fun, I thought.

We started off with the beef Carpaccio, served on a wooden board and drizzled with olive oil and a generous portion of shaved Parmesan. (By the way, the French love their cheeses and they're never stingy with them like American restaurants.)

We also shared a soup that could best be described as orzo pasta cooked in a seafood broth. A "lard" or bacon and cheese sandwich came next – a delicately pressed mini-panini stuffed with thick, fatty bacon.

Our digital research also led us to some great cheap eats such as L'As du Fallafel, where we faced a snaking line along a cobblestone road swarming with falafel joints. I asked the man who took our order why his falafel was best.

"When you take your first bite, you will know," he bragged.

Sure enough, he was right. It was a falafel fantasy and the lamb shawarma was to die for. It was also a bargain. We paid less than 20 euros for three hefty-size meals.

Tap trusted experts

If you can find a friend or co-worker who has lived in the city that you plan to visit, grill them for food ideas. Don't bother with anyone who eats at McDonald's regularly. Some of my best Paris tips came from chef Pascal Olhats, owner of Pascal Épicerie in Newport Beach.

The French native gave me a list of great restaurants and food shops to visit, including Les Cocettes (also recommended by a Parisian we met), Maille gourmet mustard shop and Maison de la Truffe.

I might not have ventured into the truffle restaurant, which looked standoffish and high-priced. But Olhats instructed me to walk in and look for the adjoining shop, which sells truffle products and “to go” sandwiches at accessible prices. We ordered the brie truffle and the Iberico ham and black truffle sandwiches for 24 euros. We shared the truffle-infused sandwiches, along with a few gourmet chocolates from Patrick Rodger (another Olhats and Yelp tip), on the steps of the beautiful La Madeleine Catholic church across the street. We swooned with every bite.

Follow the locals

We always leave room on our dining dance card for suggestions from locals. Who better to give you advice then people who live in Paris? The owners of the flat we were living in gave us suggestions of charming bistros, ethnic restaurants and crêperies – all devoid of tourists. We tried a few and none disappointed. We dined on crepes stuffed with sunny side-up eggs at Crêperie Bretonne, seafood salads accented with tender, chewy sea slugs at L'Ecailler du Bistrot, and duck bathed with prunes and red wine sauce at Le Trumilou.

A local bar owner in our charismatic 11th district neighborhood told us to visit Le Baron Rouge – an enchanting traditional wine bar that serves most of its house wines from barrels stacked against the wall. You can even buy a liter to go, something few Paris bars offer anymore, the man behind the counter told us.

We bought a bottle of rosé for 3.50 euros, took it back to our apartment and had it with home-cooked meals over the next few days.

We felt like we were living in old World Paris.

Thanks to everyone who made our food travels amazing, and big thanks to my husband, Brady, and my daughter, Hannah. Both love experimenting with new foods just as much as I do. Brady also mapped our dining options on his Yelp app, and navigated us to each restaurant without getting lost.------------------------------------------------

-Nancy Luna has covered the restaurant industry for the Register since 2005. Follow her food adventures on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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